Runners corner: Boston Marathon: Where will it take you?

Friday

Apr 5, 2013 at 12:01 AMApr 5, 2013 at 5:19 AM

As we near Patriots Day, which falls on April 15 this year, many runners begin to obsess, and it has nothing to do with Tax Day for Uncle Sam. For them, it will be a more taxing day with the running of the 117th BAA Boston Marathon. It’s the earliest possible date for the traditional worldwide event, even non-runners watch out of curiosity.

Tom Licciardello/Wicked Local Sports

As we near Patriots Day, which falls on April 15 this year, many runners begin to obsess, and it has nothing to do with Tax Day for Uncle Sam. For them, it will be a more taxing day with the running of the 117th BAA Boston Marathon. It’s the earliest possible date for the traditional worldwide event, even non-runners watch out of curiosity.

The Boston Marathon is the oldest continuous marathon, and the most famous, which is on every serious runner’s bucket list. How big a deal is it to run this event? Some fanatical runners will compete annually for decades. Imagine that.

On one day each year, the quaint town of Hopkinton becomes the center of the running universe as the starting point of the race. The sign in the center of town proclaims: “It All Starts Here.”

From Hopkinton, the most accomplished runners from all over the world will be joined by thousands of age-group competitors ranging from very fast to not-so-fast, but all equally committed to getting to the finish line ASAP.

Most will follow behind the footsteps of the world’s best runners from the U.S., Kenya, Ethiopia, Russia and every other corner of the globe.

Is there another sport that allows the rank and file to compete on the same field at the same time as Olympic champions and the best pros in the world? Nope.

Those who will pin on the prized marathon bib number this year will also run in the footsteps of some greats throughout the history of the race — Clarence Demar, Tarzan Brown, Johnny Kelley, Kathy Switzer, Billy Rodgers, Joan Benoit Samuelson, just to name a few.

Along the way, the competitors will pass landmarks that are a part of the legendary course that makes this race so special.

What runner hasn’t been inspired at Wellesley College — 12 miles into the race? The thousands of screaming coeds make every runner feel like a rock star.

Then, there is Heartbreak Hill. Not really a big deal on paper as it only rises 88 feet, but it comes at a really inconvenient time — 16 miles into the race, and right after a steep downhill that beats up the legs of the tired runner. Boston College lies at the top of “The Hill,” and soon the first sight of the Citgo sign in Kenmore Square. So famous is this sign as a marker for marathoners that it has been placed on the historic register.

There is probably no corner more anticipated than Hereford Street, the final right turn before heading left down Boylston Street to the finish line.

How big a deal is it to be a Boston Marathon finisher? It will make his/her obituary.

Even though the finisher’s medal is placed around the runner’s neck on Boylston Street — 42.195 kilometers from the start line — the Boston Marathon takes its participants on a much grander journey than a simple long run.

The journey begins when the decision is made to commit to running the race. Quite simply, it’s a life-changing moment.

Having personally made that decision many years ago, it’s difficult for me to imagine how different my life would have been had I not bumped into my friends, Phil Capodilupo and Barry O’Neil, when they were out on a marathon-training run. They planted the bug, and soon I was one of them.

They started as friends, but became my training partners. This is a friendship like no other.

Marathon training requires logging a lot of miles, and that means spending hours of uninterrupted time talking. It doesn’t take long before routine conversations are exhausted, and deeper levels of conversations ensue. There is very little that is happening in the life of a training partner that you don’t learn. Over the many years that I’ve run marathons, I know I’ve learned more about some of my training friends than even their spouses, pastors or relatives know. They truly become part of an extended family.

It’s not just about the tight knit group of training partners. The running scene is filled with opportunities to meet your own kind. If you’re as lucky as I have been, you’ll find a local running club to join. There, you can find a wealth of experience, advice, support and active adults who pursue a healthy lifestyle and love to have fun. Because of my running club, my extended family has grown exponentially.

Because of these relationships, I have traveled to exotic locations to compete in races with an enthusiastic gang of like-minded friends. We train hard, race, and then have fun. I’m not sure I would travel to as many places like Hawaii and St. Croix were it not for my running life.

But this running life — that was born with the notion of running the Boston Marathon just once — has had an even greater impact on my immediate family. When I committed myself, I committed my family too.

Fortunately, they embraced the challenge, as well. In fact, I will suggest that their lives have been substantially improved as a result.

My wife, Lyn, encouraged me throughout my first marathon, even though she was pregnant. When it became apparent that my first Boston wasn’t going to be my last, she bought running shoes and joined me in a long running journey that continues to this day. She too is a Boston Marathon veteran among her many other running accomplishments.

My two children saw their mom and dad take on difficult challenges, along with the diligent preparations, but they also witnessed our success.

Now as successful runners, they have Boston Marathon finishes of their own, and are showing my grandchildren the same perseverance as athletes. There is no doubt in my mind that all five grandchildren will learn those same lessons. Who knows, they may one day have a Boston Marathon finisher’s medal placed around their necks, as well.

Those dedicated runners, who will step up to the starting line in Hopkinton on April 15, will have a long road to run. But the journey’s accomplishments will last a lifetime.

Tom Licciardello is a founding member of the Merrimack Valley Striders. Licciardello has participated in 35 Boston’s and 88 marathons. He has also completed the Hawaii Ironman Triathlon. Professionally, he is a Certified Financial Planner and resides in North Andover with his wife, Lyn. He may be reached at tomlicc@verizon.net.